A Whole Ton of Democratic Seats in Danger

With two weeks remaining until Election Day, the political map has expanded to put Democrats on the run across the country — with 99 Democratic-held House seats now in play, according to a POLITICO analysis, and Republicans well in reach of retaking the House.

It’s a dramatic departure from the outlook one year ago — and a broader landscape than even just prior to the summer congressional recess. As recently as early September, many Republicans were hesitant to talk about winning a majority for fear of overreaching.

Today, however, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report predicts a GOP net gain of at least 40 House seats, with 90 Democratic seats in total rated as competitive or likely Republican.

“When Chairman [Pete] Sessions and Leader [John] Boehner said that 100 House seats were in play, Democrats scoffed,” said Ken Spain, the National Republican Congressional Committee’s communications director. “Today, they aren’t laughing anymore.”

I imagine that this unbelievably apocalyptic scenario is what prompts the thoroughly unscrupulous Jonathan Zasloff to advocate a religious test for public office that is designed to eviscerate the First Amendment for political gain (remember as you read this that Zasloff is a law professor at UCLA), and just happens to be aimed at disadvantaging a Republican candidate. To their credit, fellow non-Reality-Based bloggers Kleiman and Sabl take issue with Zasloff’s smarmy approach to campaigning, and utter disrespect for the truth. That’s nice to see, I guess. It would be nicer if they told Zasloff that he was no longer wanted at the supposed Reality-Based Community, and that he should let the door hit him on the way out, but I gather that last wish is a wish too far.